Unique Features of the EAEU Interregional and Cross-border Cooperation

This article is devoted to analysis of the main distinctive features of interregional and cross-border cooperation at the current stage of integration in the EAEU. It is shown that today the development of interregional and cross-border cooperation in the association is considered to be one of the priorities that contribute to deepening and ensuring the dynamism of integration processes. The intensification of initiatives at the intergovernmental level in this field dates back to the 2020s. However, up to the present, despite quite a deep degree of economic integration of the EAEU members, the sphere of interregional and cross-border cooperation remains insufficiently institutionalized and is of a recommendatory nature. The association lacks multilateral agreements and cooperation mechanisms aimed at developing interaction specifically at the regional level. The main emphasis in the analysis is made on the fact that the current state of interregional and cross-border cooperation is asymmetrical, which is revealed in the following aspects: unequal degree of importance of cross-border cooperation for the participating countries, heterogeneity of the scale and nature of interregional cooperation, unequal level of autonomy of regions in the member states, divergence in applied formats of interaction, significant regional divergence in socio-economic development. It is concluded that in order to overcome such asymmetry and fragmentation, it is essential to have flexible multilateral mechanisms as well as financial and information institutions, the activities of which will contribute to the development of horizontal ties and economic connectivity at the regional level.